Kids using gay as an insult

quietheart

The thread was started because a child used gay as an insult - he clearly meant gay in the homosexual sense. He used it because my son got undressed in the same room as his friend. 'Why are you getting undressed in front of your friend??! You must be gay'.
I don't think the double meaning argument stands in this case.

balletshoes

quietheart wrote: »

The thread was started because a child used gay as an insult - he clearly meant gay in the homosexual sense. He used it because my son got undressed in the same room as his friend. 'Why are you getting undressed in front of your friend??! You must be gay'.
I don't think the double meaning argument stands in this case.

in this case, I think you're right.

thehappybutterfly

SUESMITH wrote: »

i work in a school and yes, gay is just now used as a general insult - no longer in a homophobic way. this has happened over the last few years.

Agree with this ^^^^^

I've just asked my 15YO daughter who used to use the word gay as light hearted cheek but she's just told me it was never in the context of someone's sexuality. It usually just means the same as 'gimp' as in 'you are such a gimp'.

DannyBo

VestanPance wrote: »

But the word already had more than one meaning. It still means happy just as much as it does homosexual. It's all in the context.

Personally this use of the word is another Americanism in our language that I dislike, but to presume it's use is homophobic I feel is incorrect.

For instance is the kids say "Stevis is a gay *@$%^" that would be homophobic. If they say 'the school dinner was gay' that's a juvenile critic of the food provided by the education establishment.

Gay = naff, carp, something negative.

The word wasn't hanging around with no other meaning, waiting to have a new meaning. It is used in a negative way because of it's most common meaning.

That, whichever way you dress it up is homophobic.

Person_one

thehappybutterfly wrote: »

Agree with this ^^^^^

I've just asked my 15YO daughter who used to use the word gay as light hearted cheek but she's just told me it was never in the context of someone's sexuality. It usually just means the same as 'gimp' as in 'you are such a gimp'.

Good lord, did you tell her why gimp is also completely inappropriate and horrible?

thehappybutterfly

My response when my daughter used to call her older brother gay was 'Do you even know what 'gay' means?' because it was so totally out of context. And she didn't - it was just a name.

Person_one

thehappybutterfly wrote: »

My response when my daughter used to call her older brother gay was 'Do you even know what 'gay' means?' because it was so totally out of context. And she didn't - it was just a name.

That's part of the problem though, kids are internalising this idea that gay = bad.

When they know what it means, do they instantly forget the negative connotations and the fact being called gay was an insult?

loracan1

Person_one wrote: »

Good lord, did you tell her why gimp is also completely inappropriate and horrible?

I had to look that up because all I knew of was the 'gimp' in Pulp Fiction.

Lokolo

I guess when I call someone a t*** I must be calling them a vagina... oh no, I'm not, I'm just calling them a t***.

I think all these adults who think the kids are using the word gay to be an insult of sexuality need to realise they are out of touch with the younger generation.

Person_one

Lokolo wrote: »

I guess when I call someone a t*** I must be calling them a vagina... oh no, I'm not, I'm just calling them a t***.

Is it not interesting that the absolute worst thing you can call someone, a word that is so taboo you hardly ever hear it even in more extreme film and TV is just a synonym for something as innocent as a woman's vulva?